Google Places - Increase your ranking by claiming and optimizing your Google Places listing.

Most small business owners are familiar with Google Maps. In 2009 Google relaunched it's Business Centre as Google Places, offering local business owners an opportunity to create a business profile that can include all contact information, as well as pictures, videos, coupons or special offers, trading hours, reviews, etc. while marking their business location on the Google Maps service.

Did you know you can (and should) use this free service to to control the content of your Google Places business listing to create a free web presence or to enhance your existing presence and increase your search engine ranking.  

Claiming your Google Place will help your business to be listed on the first page of Google search results for a relevant local search (even if you don't have a website). For brick-and-mortar companies, optimizing for local search is more important than ever for creating and reinforcing an online presence.  

Please visit the Boost website to read Five Things You Should Know About Claiming your Google Place to help you get more from your Google Places listing.

Google continues to make tweaks to the algorithms that serve up their results and local is becoming more and more important to them.  

The social factor is going to continue to influence rankings across the board. Matt Cutts from Google has confirmed social cues do play significantly into ranking. It just makes sense to take advantage of free options such as these local business listings as much as possible. Invest efforts (not necessarily dollars) into optimizing for local and social.

For some very small businesses, it is possible to create a decent web presence with just a Facebook page and some local business listings - definitely including Google Places - if budgets are really tight. I am glad to help if you need some help to get these options working for you.   

I hope you found this reliable, real, simple and interesting.

Make the most of your online investment - it can be your most powerful sales and communication tool. Call Boost to begin to uncover your full online communication potential.

Sincerely,

Susan Ward

BOOST

Online communication demystified, authentic, branded.

susan@boostbusiness.ca

416-729-8945